Raiders fight back to down East Bladen, 56-51

The Midway Raider basketball team, who snapped a four game skid in their previous game with a 12 point home win over Union, looked to be doomed for another tough loss on Thursday night. Thursday’s game featured a match-up with East Bladen High School.

The game was scheduled for Friday night, but moved up to Thursday due to the threat of bad weather.

The Eagles, behind their home crowd, built an early 20-3 lead after the first quarter. They led by as many as 21 before the visiting team was able to cut into the lead a bit. Thanks to some better defense, and more patience on offense, the Raiders were able to cut the lead to 7 at halftime, as East Bladen led 30-23.

Midway closed the gap even more after the halftime break, as they outscored East Bladen 16-10 in the third quarter. This drew them closer, trailing 39-40 entering the final frame.

Carrying the momentum they had built since the second quarter, the Raiders took control of the game. After finally taking a lead, they wouldn’t look back, and would secure a 56-51 win. After trailing 26-5 early in the second quarter, the Raiders went on to outscore East Bladen 51-25.

It looked like two different Raider teams, and the one that finished the game is the one head coach Matthew Creech would much rather see.

It was the type of win that the Raiders could use to really turn things around. Although East Bladen’s record isn’t flashy, the way Midway fought back could be huge for them moving forward.

They are set to host Pender on Tuesday night, in a game set for 8 p.m.